Providing 24-hour power supply is a challenging task but the Modi government is committed to fulfil the promise it has made to the people of the country, Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal said today. | Watch video

Speaking at the India Today Conclave 2016, Goyal admitted that providing round-the-clock electricity across the country is a tough task but the government is working hard to achieve the target.

"We have committed to 24x7 energy access to everyone in 2019 and we are working to achieve that," Goyal said during the Conclave session titled - Ideas of India.

"The power sector inherited a legacy of loss, where 30 crore people were in darkness, which meant nearly six crore families lived without access to electricity. Problems were many such as the stagnant coal production, cancellation of 204 coal blocks and corruption," Goyal said.

The power ministry has reached one-third of its target to electrify 18,000 villages by 2018. 6,000 villages have been electrified so far.

The government has increased allocation to Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana for rural electrification by Rs 8,500 crore in the Budget for 2016-17. It also raised the total plan outlay for the power ministry to Rs 12,200 crore from Rs 6,800 crore.

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